Europe before and after the First World War

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World War I, or Great War, started on 28 July 1914 and ended on 11 November 1918. WWI was one of the deadliest war conflicts in history. About nine million people were killed in the war, while over five million civilians died from bombardment, military occupation, starvation, and disease. The countries involved in the war were much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the United States, with battles extending into the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

The largest nation before the First World War was Austria-Hungary. Poland was divided between Austria-Hungary, Prussia, and Russia.

Europe before the First World War (1871 – 1914)

World War I began in the Balkans and occurred between July 1914 and November 11, 1918. By the end of the war, over 20 million people would be killed.

After World War I four empires collapsed (The German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire). The collapse of these empires led to the formation of multiple new countries, the most important of which included Poland, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. Other European countries like France, Italy, and Romania increased in size.

Europe during the Interwar period (1919 – 1939)